Display panel

ABSTRACT

The present disclosure provides a display panel, including a first pixel group, a second pixel group, and a third pixel group with different colors. The first pixel group and the second pixel group are sequentially arranged along a first direction, and both include four sub-pixels arranged in a matrix. The third pixel group is adjacent to the first pixel group and the second pixel group, and the third pixel group includes at least two third sub-pixels sequentially arranged along the first direction. A demand of products for printing accuracy requirement of a printing equipment can be reduced under a premise that a number of high pixels per inch (PPI) remains unchanged.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority of the Chinese patent applicationnumbered 202010407396.7, filed on May 14, 2020 with the NationalIntellectual Property Administration and titled “DISPLAY PANEL”, whichis incorporated by reference in the present application in its entirety.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present disclosure relates to the field of display technologies, andparticularly relates to a display panel.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

Organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) have an anode, organic functionallayers, and a cathode formed on a substrate in sequence. The organicfunctional layers generally include a hole injection layer (HIL), a holetransport layer (HTL), an emitting functional layer (EML), an electrontransport layer (ETL), and an electron injection layer (EIL). Atpresent, each of the organic functional layers and a cathode metal layerfilm are prepared by a vacuum thermal evaporation process, that is,organic small molecule materials are heated in a vacuum chamber tosublimate or melt and vaporize into vapor materials, and the vapormaterials are deposited on a glass substrate through openings of a metalmask. However, due to high costs of vacuum thermal evaporation,large-scale commercialization of OLED displays is limited.

Inkjet printing has advantages of high material utilization and so on,and it is a key technology to reduce costs of large-size OLED displays.A method of the inkjet printing is to drop functional material ink intoa predetermined pixel area by multiple nozzles, and then obtain adesired film by drying. Grooves are usually made in predetermined pixelareas of a substrate used in a printing film formation process to limitthe ink. And after drying and baking, the ink shrinks within the limitof pixel grooves to form a specific light-emitting pixel. However, dueto limitations of a solution process and accuracy of printing equipment,if sizes of the grooves are too small, mixing of solutions in differentgrooves may occur. Pixels with a mixing phenomenon may exhibit obviousdifferences in brightness and chromaticity during display, which mayhave a strong impact on product quality and seriously limit applicationprospects of the inkjet printing for manufacturing the OLED with highpixels per inch (PPI).

Therefore, it is necessary to make improvements to the pixel structurein the prior art.

Technical Problems

An embodiment of the present disclosure provides a display panel tosolve a technical problem that in a display panel of the prior art, whenpixels are manufactured by inkjet printing, due to limitations of asolution process and accuracy of printing equipment, if sizes of groovesare too small, mixing of solutions in adjacent grooves may occur, whichin turn causes differences in brightness and chromaticity during displayand affects product quality.

Technical Solutions

To solve the above problem, technical solutions provided by the presentdisclosure are as followings:

An embodiment of the present disclosure provides a display panelincluding a plurality of pixel repeating units distributed in an array,each of the pixel repeating units includes a first pixel group, a secondpixel group and a third pixel group with different colors, wherein thefirst pixel group and the second pixel group are sequentially arrangedalong a first direction, the third pixel group is adjacent to the firstpixel group and the second pixel group, the first pixel group includesfour first sub-pixels arranged in a matrix, the second pixel groupincludes four second sub-pixels arranged in another matrix, the thirdpixel group includes at least two third sub-pixels sequentially arrangedalong the first direction, each of the third sub-pixels is adjacent tothe first sub-pixels and the second sub-pixels, virtual lines between acenter of the third sub-pixels, a center of the first sub-pixels, and acenter of the second sub-pixels define a triangle, an area of each ofthe first sub-pixels is equal to an area of each of the secondsub-pixels, an area of each of the third sub-pixels is twice the area ofeach of the first sub-pixels, and the display panel comprises a firstpixel definition layer, wherein the first pixel group, the second pixelgroup, and the third pixel group are separated from each other by thefirst pixel definition layer.

In at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, the display panelfurther includes a second pixel definition layer, four of the firstpixels of the first pixel group and four of the second sub-pixels of thesecond pixel group are separated from each other by the second pixeldefinition layer.

In at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, a height of thefirst pixel definition layer is greater than a height of the secondpixel definition layer.

In at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, the first pixeldefinition layer further separates two adjacent of the third sub-pixelsfrom each other.

In at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, the first pixelgroup is defined as a first pixel printing unit, the second pixel groupis defined as a second pixel printing unit, and each of the thirdsub-pixels is defined as a third pixel printing unit.

In at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, the third pixelgroup includes four third sub-pixels arranged in a matrix along thefirst direction and a second direction.

In at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, adjacent of thethird sub-pixels arranged along the second direction are separated fromeach other by the second pixel definition layer.

In at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, the first pixelgroup is defined as a first pixel printing unit, the second pixel groupis defined as a second pixel printing unit, and two adjacent of thethird sub-pixels arranged along the second direction are defined as athird pixel printing unit.

An embodiment of the present disclosure further provides another displaypanel including a plurality of pixel repeating units distributed in anarray, each of the pixel repeating units includes a first pixel group, asecond pixel group and a third pixel group with different colors,wherein the first pixel group and the second pixel group aresequentially arranged along a first direction, the third pixel group isadjacent to the first pixel group and the second pixel group, the firstpixel group includes four first sub-pixels arranged in a matrix, thesecond pixel group includes four second sub-pixels arranged in anothermatrix, the third pixel group includes at least two third sub-pixelssequentially arranged along the first direction, and each of the thirdsub-pixels is adjacent to the first sub-pixels and the secondsub-pixels, and virtual lines between a center of the third sub-pixels,a center of the first sub-pixels, and a center of the second sub-pixelsdefine a triangle.

In at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, an area of each ofthe first sub-pixels is equal to an area of each of the secondsub-pixels, an area of each of the third sub-pixels is twice the area ofeach of the first sub-pixels.

In at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, the display panelincludes a first pixel definition layer, wherein the first pixel group,the second pixel group, and the third pixel group are separated fromeach other by the first pixel definition layer.

In at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, the display panelfurther includes a second pixel definition layer, four of the firstpixels of the first pixel group and four of the second sub-pixels of thesecond pixel group are separated from each other by the second pixeldefinition layer.

In at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, a height of thefirst pixel definition layer is greater than a height of the secondpixel definition layer.

In at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, the height of thefirst pixel definition layer ranges from 1 micron to 2 microns, and theheight of the second pixel definition layer ranges from 0.5 microns to 1micron.

In at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, the first pixeldefinition layer further separates two adjacent of the third sub-pixels.

In at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, the first pixelgroup is defined as a first pixel printing unit, the second pixel groupis defined as a second pixel printing unit, and each of the thirdsub-pixels is defined as a third pixel printing unit.

In at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, the third pixelgroup includes four third sub-pixels arranged in a matrix along thefirst direction and a second direction.

In at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, adjacent of thethird sub-pixels arranged along the second direction are separated fromeach other by the second pixel definition layer.

In at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, the first pixelgroup is defined as a first pixel printing unit, the second pixel groupis defined as a second pixel printing unit, and two adjacent of thethird sub-pixels arranged along the second direction are defined as athird pixel printing unit.

In at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, a light-emittingpixel unit is composed of one of the first sub-pixels, one of the secondsub-pixels, and one of the third sub-pixels.

BENEFICIAL EFFECTS

The present disclosure integrates four sub-pixels of a same color into apixel printing unit for printing, thereby reducing a demand of productsfor printing accuracy requirement of a printing equipment under apremise that a number of high pixels per inch (PPI) remains unchanged,and effectively increasing the number of the PPI of the products whileunder a condition of a same printing accuracy.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a pixel repeating unit provided by anembodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a pixel arrangement provided by anembodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a sectional and schematic view along a line of AA′ in FIG. 2 .

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a pixel repeating unit provided by otherembodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 5 is a schematic view of a pixel arrangement provided by otherembodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 6 is another schematic view of a pixel arrangement provided byother embodiments of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

The present disclosure provides a display panel. In order to make thepurpose, technical solutions, and effects of the present disclosureclearer, the present disclosure will be further described in detailbelow with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. Itshould be understood that the specific embodiments described herein aremerely used to explain the present disclosure, and are not used to limitthe present disclosure.

As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 , an embodiment of the present disclosureprovides a display panel 100 including a plurality of pixel repeatingunits 10 distributed in an array. Each of the pixel repeating units 10includes a first pixel group 11, a second pixel group 12, and a thirdpixel group 13 with different colors.

The first pixel group 11 and the second pixel group 12 are sequentiallyarranged along a first direction X, and the third pixel group 13 isadjacent to the first pixel group 11 and the second pixel group 12.

The first pixel group 11 includes four first sub-pixels 101 arranged ina matrix (2×2), and the second pixel group 12 includes four secondsub-pixels 102 arranged in another matrix (2×2).

The third pixel group 13 at least includes two third sub-pixels 103sequentially arranged along the first direction X. In the embodiment,the third pixel group includes a column of two third sub-pixels 103sequentially arranged along the first direction X. In other embodiments,the third pixel group includes two columns of the two third sub-pixels103.

In a pixel arrangement structure, each of the third sub-pixels 103 isadjacent to the first sub-pixels 101 and the second sub-pixels 102, andvirtual lines between a center of the third sub-pixels 103, a center ofthe first sub-pixels 101, and a center of the second sub-pixels 102define a triangle.

Under a premise that a number of high pixels per inch (PPI) of pixelsremains unchanged, a demand of products for printing accuracyrequirement of a printing equipment may be reduced by setting the pixelrepeating unit 10 with the above arrangement.

There are many ways to set the first direction and a second direction,and the first direction X and the second direction Y may be intersectedat any preset angle. Preferably, an angle between the first direction Xand the second direction Y is 90 degrees, as X-axis (the firstdirection) and Y-axis (the second direction) as shown in FIG. 1 .Therefore, each of the first sub-pixel 101, each of the second sub-pixel102, and each of the third sub-pixel 103 can be arranged alonghorizontal and vertical directions, thereby simplifying a structure andan being easy to manufacture.

The third pixel group 13 and the first pixel group 11 are offset, sothat each of the third sub-pixels 103 is adjacent to the firstsub-pixels 101 and the second sub-pixels 102.

Specifically, a width W3 of the third sub-pixel 103 along the firstdirection X is equal to a sum of a width W1 of the first sub-pixel 101along the first direction X and a width W2 of the second sub-pixel 102along the first direction X.

In an embodiment, an area of each of the first sub-pixels 101 is equalto an area of each of the second sub-pixels 102, and an area of each ofthe third sub-pixels 103 is twice the area of each of the firstsub-pixels 101. Two sides of each of the third sub-pixels 103 aredirectly opposite to two of the first sub-pixels 101 and two of thesecond sub-pixels 102 respectively, that is, each of the thirdsub-pixels 103 is defined as a common sub-pixel used in two pixel units,thereby further increasing a number of the PPI while maintaining a samespecification of the display panel.

The first sub-pixels 101, the second sub-pixels 102 and the thirdsub-pixels 103 are one of red sub-pixels, green sub-pixels, and bluesub-pixels, respectively. For example, a lifetime and luminous intensityof a light-emitting material of the blue sub-pixels are weaker, and anarea of each of the blue sub-pixels can be designed to be larger. In theembodiment, the third sub-pixels 103 may be the blue sub-pixels, thesecond sub-pixels 102 may be the green sub-pixels, and the firstsub-pixels 101 may be the red sub-pixels.

The first pixel group 11 is defined as a first pixel printing unit (redpixel printing unit), the second pixel group 12 is defined as a secondpixel printing unit (green pixel printing unit), and each of the thirdsub-pixels 103 is defined as a third pixel printing unit (blue pixelprinting unit), so that the sub-pixels having a same color can beprinted by a same pixel printing unit, thereby solving the problem thatthe solution in different grooves will be mixed as the grooves of pixelsare too small, preventing obvious differences in brightness andchromaticity during display, and improving the display quality ofproducts.

As shown in FIG. 3 , the display panel further includes a first pixeldefinition layer 21. The first pixel group 11, the second pixel group12, and the third pixel group 13 are separated from each other by thefirst pixel definition layer 21.

The first pixel definition layer 21 is used to limit the printing ink ineach of pixel printing units.

Because each of the third sub-pixels 103 is defined as one pixelprinting unit, the first pixel definition layer 21 should also bedisposed between two adjacent of the third sub-pixels 103 to separatetwo adjacent of the third sub-pixels 103, thereby preventing the ink ofprinting units with different colors from overflowing.

The display panel further includes a second pixel definition layer 22,four of the first sub-pixels 101 of the first pixel group 11 and four ofthe second sub-pixels 102 of the second pixel group 12 are separatedfrom each other by the second pixel definition layer 22.

Specifically, the second pixel definition layer 22 is used to divide ananode layer 40 corresponding to each of the sub-pixels in the firstpixel group 11 or the second pixel group 12, so that each of thesub-pixels corresponds to an independent anode, thereby making each ofthe sub-pixels driven and lighted independently.

The first pixel definition layer 21 and the second pixel definitionlayer 22 are disposed on an array substrate 30, the array substrate 30has the anode layer 40, and the array substrate 30 may include aplurality of thin film transistors arranged in an array.

A height of the first pixel definition layer 21 is greater than a heightof the second pixel definition layer 22. Because the second pixeldefinition layer 22 is used to divide the anode layer of the sub-pixelsof each pixel group, and is not used to divide the printing ink of thesub-pixels of each pixel group, the height of the second pixeldefinition layer 22 does not need to be set too high.

The height of the first pixel definition layer 21 may range from 1micron to 2 microns, and the height of the second pixel definition layermay range from 0.5 microns to 1 micron.

A light-emitting pixel unit is composed of one of the first sub-pixels101, one of the second sub-pixels 102, and one of the third sub-pixels103.

In the embodiment, along the second direction Y, two adjacentlight-emitting pixel units share a same one of the third sub-pixels 103,thereby improving a utilization rate of the sub-pixels.

Compared with a common pixel arrangement of R/G/B side by side (SBS),under the same panel specification (resolution) of 55″ 4K, a number ofthe PPI of a pixel structure with SBS is 80, and a number of the PPI ofa pixel structure (4 in 1) of the embodiment of the present disclosurecan reach 165, the PPI can be increased by 2 times.

As shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 , in other embodiments, along the seconddirection Y, two adjacent light-emitting pixel units may independentlyuse one of the third sub-pixel 103.

Specifically, the third pixel group 13 includes four of the thirdsub-pixels 103 in a matrix (2×2) along the first direction X and thesecond direction Y, that is, compared to the embodiment, the third pixelgroup 10 may have two columns of the third sub-pixels 103.

Two adjacent of the third sub-pixels 103 arranged along the firstdirection X may be defined as a pixel printing unit (third pixelprinting unit), thereby effectively reducing the demand of the thirdpixel printing unit for printing accuracy requirement under the premiseof keeping the number of the PPI unchanged.

Correspondingly, the second pixel definition layer 22 should also bedisposed between two adjacent of the third sub-pixels 103 arranged alongthe first direction X in a same third pixel group 13, so that the anodelayer 40 in two adjacent of the third sub-pixels 103 can be separatedfrom each other.

Compared with the pixel structure of RGB SBS, for the display panel witha same PPI number, the above design can effectively reduce the printingaccuracy requirement of a printing equipment. When the resolution of thedisplay panel is 55″ 4K, the printing accuracy of the pixel structurewith SBS is required to range from minus 34 microns to plus 34 microns,and the printing accuracy of the pixel structure of the presentdisclosure is required to range from minus 63 microns to plus 63microns. When the resolution of the display panel is 55″ 8K, theprinting accuracy of the pixel structure with SBS is required to rangefrom minus 8 microns to plus 8 microns, and the printing accuracy of thepixel structure of the present disclosure is required to range fromminus 28 microns to plus 28 microns.

A shape of each of the first sub-pixels 101 and a shape of each of thesecond sub-pixels 102 may be square, and a shape of each of the thirdsub-pixels 103 may be rectangular.

In other embodiments, as shown in FIG. 6 , the shape of each of thefirst sub-pixels 101 and the shape of each of the second sub-pixels 102may be a quarter circle, and the shape of each of the third sub-pixels103 may be a semicircular.

In other embodiments, the shape of each of the first sub-pixels 101 andthe shape of each of the second sub-pixels 102 may be triangular, andthe shape of each of the third sub-pixels 103 may be rectangular.

The present disclosure integrates four sub-pixels of the same color intoa pixel printing unit for printing, thereby reducing the demand ofproducts for printing accuracy requirement of a printing equipment undera premise that the number of high pixels per inch (PPI) remainsunchanged, and effectively increasing the number of the PPI of theproducts while under a condition of a same printing accuracy.

It can be understood that those of ordinary skill in the art can makeequivalent replacements or changes according to the technical solutionsand the concepts of the present disclosure, and all such changes andreplacements should be encompassed within the protection scope of theclaims appended to the present disclosure.

1. A display panel, comprising a plurality of pixel repeating unitsdistributed in an array, wherein each of the pixel repeating unitscomprises: a first pixel group, a second pixel group, and a third pixelgroup with different colors; wherein the first pixel group and thesecond pixel group are sequentially arranged along a first direction,and the third pixel group is adjacent to the first pixel group and thesecond pixel group; the first pixel group comprises four firstsub-pixels arranged in a matrix, the second pixel group comprises foursecond sub-pixels arranged in another matrix, and the third pixel groupcomprises at least two third sub-pixels sequentially arranged along thefirst direction; each of the third sub-pixels is adjacent to one of thefirst sub-pixels and one of the second sub-pixels, and virtual linesbetween a center of each of the third sub-pixels, a center of anadjacent first sub-pixels, and a center of an adjacent second sub-pixeldefine a triangle; an area of each of the first sub-pixels is equal toan area of each of the second sub-pixels, and an area of each of thethird sub-pixels is twice the area of each of the first sub-pixels; andthe display panel comprises a first pixel definition layer, wherein thefirst pixel group, the second pixel group, and the third pixel group areseparated from each other by the first pixel definition layer.
 2. Thedisplay panel in claim 1, wherein the display panel further comprises asecond pixel definition layer, and four of the first sub-pixels of thefirst pixel group and four of the second sub-pixels of the second pixelgroup are separated from each other by the second pixel definitionlayer.
 3. The display panel in claim 2, wherein a height of the firstpixel definition layer is greater than a height of the second pixeldefinition layer.
 4. The display panel in claim 2, wherein the firstpixel definition layer further separates two adjacent of the thirdsub-pixels from each other.
 5. The display panel in claim 4, wherein thefirst pixel group is defined as a first pixel printing unit, the secondpixel group is defined as a second pixel printing unit, and each of thethird sub-pixels is defined as a third pixel printing unit.
 6. Thedisplay panel in claim 2, wherein the third pixel group comprises fourthird sub-pixels arranged in a matrix along the first direction and asecond direction.
 7. The display panel in claim 6, wherein adjacent ofthe third sub-pixels arranged along the second direction are separatedfrom each other by the second pixel definition layer.
 8. The displaypanel in claim 7, wherein the first pixel group is defined as a firstpixel printing unit, the second pixel group is defined as a second pixelprinting unit, and two adjacent of the third sub-pixels arranged alongthe second direction are defined as a third pixel printing unit.
 9. Adisplay panel, comprising a plurality of pixel repeating unitsdistributed in an array, wherein each of the pixel repeating unitscomprises: a first pixel group, a second pixel group, and a third pixelgroup with different colors; wherein the first pixel group and thesecond pixel group are sequentially arranged along a first direction,and the third pixel group is adjacent to the first pixel group and thesecond pixel group; the first pixel group comprises four firstsub-pixels arranged in a matrix, the second pixel group comprises foursecond sub-pixels arranged in another matrix, and the third pixel groupcomprises at least two third sub-pixels sequentially arranged along thefirst direction; and each of the third sub-pixels is adjacent to one ofthe first sub-pixels and one of the second sub-pixels, and virtual linesbetween a center of each of the third sub-pixels, a center of anadjacent first sub-pixel, and a center of an adjacent second sub-pixeldefine a triangle.
 10. The display panel in claim 9, wherein an area ofeach of the first sub-pixels is equal to an area of each of the secondsub-pixels, and an area of each of the third sub-pixels is twice thearea of each of the first sub-pixels.
 11. The display panel in claim 9,wherein the display panel comprises a first pixel definition layer, andthe first pixel group, the second pixel group, and the third pixel areseparated from each other group by the first pixel definition layer. 12.The display panel in claim 11, wherein the display panel furthercomprises a second pixel definition layer, and four of the firstsub-pixels of the first pixel group and four of the second sub-pixels ofthe second pixel group are separated from each other by the second pixeldefinition layer.
 13. The display panel in claim 12, wherein a height ofthe first pixel definition layer is greater than a height of the secondpixel definition layer.
 14. The display panel in claim 13, wherein theheight of the first pixel definition layer ranges from 1 micron to 2microns, and the height of the second pixel definition layer ranges from0.5 microns to 1 micron.
 15. The display panel in claim 12, wherein thefirst pixel definition layer further separates two adjacent of the thirdsub-pixels.
 16. The display panel in claim 15, wherein the first pixelgroup is defined as a first pixel printing unit, the second pixel groupis defined as a second pixel printing unit, and each of the thirdsub-pixels is defined as a third pixel printing unit.
 17. The displaypanel in claim 12, wherein the third pixel group comprises four thirdsub-pixels arranged in a matrix along the first direction and a seconddirection.
 18. The display panel in claim 17, wherein adjacent of thethird sub-pixels arranged along the second direction are separated fromeach other by the second pixel definition layer.
 19. The display panelin claim 18, wherein the first pixel group is defined as a first pixelprinting unit, the second pixel group is defined as a second pixelprinting unit, and two adjacent of the third sub-pixels arranged alongthe second direction are defined as a third pixel printing unit.
 20. Thedisplay panel in claim 9, wherein a light-emitting pixel unit iscomposed of one of the first sub-pixels, one of the second sub-pixels,and one of the third sub-pixels.